Story highlights
Pro-immigration reform protesters haggle Hillary Clinton over the DREAM Act
Clinton responds by saying immigration is an "important issue"
She was stumping for Md. gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown
Hillary Clinton was just starting to get into her stump speech on Thursday when immigration protesters began shouting at a rally in Maryland.
They were from United We Dream, a pro-immigration reform organization that dispatched about 20 people to interrupt Clinton’s rally with Anthony Brown, Maryland Democrats’ gubernatorial candidate.
A series of four groups stood up during quiet moments in Clinton’s speech and began to shout.
“Choose families over politics,” some signs read. Others chanted as they were escorted out by police.
According to Mario Carrillo, United We Dream’s spokesman, the coordinated protest was “part of a broader effort of demanding to know where she stands on the President using his executive authority to protect millions of people from deportations, especially since it looks like she’s starting to actively campaign towards 2016.”
Hillary Clinton finds campaign message in personal speech
After the first wave of protests, Clinton responded by stating that immigration is an “important issue.”
“If they would have just waited a little while, I was getting to the DREAM Act,” Clinton said. “I am really proud to be in a state who has opened the doors of opportunity to students who work and study hard regardless of their parents immigration status.”
The DREAM Act is a proposal that establishes a pathway to citizenship for young, undocumented immigrants pursuing education or military opportunities. The law, despite support from Democrats, has not seen much success with Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Clinton later added during the speech, “I am a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform.”
The crowd drowned out most of the protests. After the first group was escorted out, the audience – mostly made up of young people – began to chant “Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!”
Hillary Clinton heckled by man with bullhorn
For the next three interruptions, however, Clinton spoke over the protests and instead decided to focus on Brown’s record as lieutenant governor for the last either years, touting his record on guns, the minimum wage and women’s issues.
This is far from the first time Clinton has been interrupted by immigration protesters. Last week in North Carolina, Clinton was interrupted by thee United We Dream activists at a rally for Sen. Kay Hagan. And in Iowa this September, immigration protesters confronted Clinton on a rope line after her speech.